Why Would Kids Benefit From Chiropractic Treatment ?
By Melissa Ferranti , D . C ., FIAMA , CACCP and Mary Margaret McGuire , D . C .
Children of all ages can benefit from chiropractic care ! Whatever you know about chiropractic for adults , chiropractic care for babies is quite different . When chiropractors assess and adjust newborn spines , we often use our pinky fingers and only the amount of pressure you can comfortably place on your eyeball . It ’ s safe , gentle , and can help with a variety of common complaints . As children get older , our adjustments begin to more closely resemble adult adjustments but with much less force . Here are a few reasons to get your children evaluated and adjusted :
• Birth is a traumatic event . Limbs can be twisted , necks turned and heads pulled . The first few moments of their big debut must be quite overwhelming for their little nervous systems . Babies are made for this process , however it can leave them with areas of discomfort . Our gentle form of adjustment can help relieve babies discomfort caused by birth .
• If your child is having difficulty feeding on a particular side , they could be experiencing discomfort when turning their head in a certain direction . When this happens , we assess the top bone of their tiny spines with our pinky fingers because it ’ s a common culprit . Using the smallest amount of pressure , we hold our finger on that bone until we feel the baby and surrounding tissue relax . We then reassess to ensure the baby can now turn their head both ways without discomfort .
• How many times a day do babies try to stand or walk but end up falling ? If they fall a certain way time after time , they could begin to develop areas of discomfort . By getting checked regularly , we can help prevent a compensation pattern from developing .
• Kids are adventurous and run and play without much fear , but they also fall frequently and in creative ways : headfirst , hands outstretched , on
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